The world united.... almost sort of.

The main event of the last 24 hours is truly remarkable. At 3pm eastern time, in the Rose Garden of the White House, Donald Trump announced that the U.S. will be pulling out of the Paris Climate Accord, the historic agreement focused on curbing global climate change signed in 2015 by 195 nation states. The U.S. now joins the illustrious ranks of Syria and Nicaragua as the only nations not part of the agreement - even Russia is in there, a nation that not so much marches to the beat of it’s own drum as one who believes everyone else’s drum is actually a frying pan.

The reaction to DJT’s decision has been vast, overwhelming and, for the most part, hugely critical. From politicians to commentators to scientists I cannot remember such direct and harsh coverage of an action taken by a leader of any significant nation. Even in these times of rapidly-changing political drama the speed with which Prime Ministers, Presidents and Chancellors have moved from diplomacy to outright condemnation is shocking. In the past 8 days we have seen Pope Francis give DJT his thesis on climate change in the official gifting ceremony between him and the U.S. President, a move that was loaded with such significance that I stood up in my office and applauded, and also comes across as a double-whammy as we know DJT doesn’t read anything more than 140 characters. And there within lies the issue. Pope Francis was using a sledgehammer to crack an egg - unfortunately the egg in question has had decades of fake tan and hairspray which makes it impervious to the will of anyone else.

From Pope Francis we then saw a crumbling of diplomatic convention as DJT descended upon the G7 summit. From pushing himself to the front of a photo opportunity to his Electroconvulsive Therapy-esque handshakes, and finishing with his proclaiming the whole trip the best ever for American, this is a man who has lived in a shell all his life surrounded by people pandering to his ego. He has never had to make a friendship, to truly negotiate a deal (his proclamation of being a great ‘deal maker’ to me speaks volumes - when you have all the bargaining chips you can make whatever deal you like.) The response of Emmanuel Macron, Angela Merkel and other leaders was to openly show frustration, to criticise, and to state to the world that the U.S. can no longer be relied upon. The world was 132 days into the 43rd President of the United States, and things were heating up. And then yesterday, the 133 day (who’s counting?), DJT did what many expected but almost all hoped he wouldn’t and put more fuel on the fire.

So with the United States out of the Paris Climate Accord where does this leave us all? Is the world’s largest economy and second-largest CO2 emitter pulling out that bad? In short, yes it is. At a time when complete unity is essential to reduce the impact of climate change and reverse the impact we have had, not having the U.S at the table is a major blow. The only other two nations also not at the table have got reasons much more valid - Syria has been in the grips of war for years, and Nicaragua felt that Paris did not go far enough (something I certainly agree with, but lets save that for another time.) The United States is poised to become the largest carbon emitter with China (currently number 1) investing more than any other nation in renewables and stopping coal plant production. And with DJT pushing for more coal production, opening up national monuments to fossil fuel exploration, appointing as the head of the Environment Protection Agency its staunchest critic, it is understandable to see the worry expressed from with and without the U.S.

Worry is not the overriding emotion I feel when thinking about this, and it shouldn’t be for you either. The international condemnation of DJT is accompanied by a strengthening of fortitude, of resolve, of unity. The Paris Climate Accord is front and centre on every news outlet, Twitter is ablaze, social media can’t move for comments and reactions. Climate change is being talked and thought about as never before. Maybe, just maybe, the world needed a situation such as this to realise the collective responsibility we have to really make a change and improvement to our environment. To realise that the collective responsibility starts with individual action. The citizens of the United States now know that their leader will not lead them. They need to be the change agents. And the response for this has been immediate: the Mayor of Pittsburgh slammed DJT’s justification for his decision, an action mirrored by Mayors and State Governers across the U.S. Russia has come out in vocal support of the Paris agreement, Leaders have issued open statements, and the press, experts and individuals have stood up and said that they will stand by the terms of the Paris agreement.

If you feel as angry and motivated as I do, then take action. Turn off your lights. If you can afford it look into heating automation or renewable energy for your home. Write to your MP, Senator or Representative. Challenge your work on their environmental policies. Offset your carbon (www.standfortrees.org is an amazing way to do this). For those in the UK who are about to choose our government for the next 5 years please read the party manifestos and make a decision that will benefit our long-term future, not just the next 2-5 years.

In summary if the actions of DJT make you angry, good. Use that energy to make a difference no matter how small or large. If you are worried, sad or depressed then look around - you have many people around you feeling the same. Channel your emotions into decisive action. I challenge us all to circle the wagons, protect the the momentum we are building to secure the future of our planet, and squash the illusions of influence, importance and grandeur held by the wildly insecure, illiterate and friendless person currently occupying the White House.

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